Hold On
by unbrokensaviorwithperfecthair
Summary: Emma gets in an accident on her way back to the apartment. Things aren't looking good, but her family refuses to give up hope. Instead of focusing on what could be taken from them, they choose to focus on what the accident has given them: the chance to bond and learn about one another, and to finally come together to help Emma like she once asked them to do for Henry.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: After writing a bunch of one or two shots for the past two and a half months, I've decided to take on a multichapter fic again. I would just like to give fair warning on a couple of things: 1) I will update in a timely manner **to the best of my abilities**. I (unfortunately) have a life outside of writing that involves small family crises, classes, and work. Things have calmed down slightly, so I'm hoping to update at least once a week, maybe twice a week. 2) I will **not** tolerate **any** form of hate or flaming. While I love constructive criticism, I've been receiving an obnoxious amount of hate an unnecessary name-calling/other negativity. I don't need that kind of stuff in my life, and if I see it, I'll just delete it. If you disagree with a point I've made, please say so in a respectful way. I'd love to chat about it, but if you post as a guest reviewer, I can't really respond. I'm open to communicating in ways other than PMing on this site, so that's an option.

Sorry to have to post that, but I just want everyone to be aware of what to expect. Enjoy and feel free to review… admittedly, they make the updates come faster if I know people are waiting.

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><p>With both Elsa and Ingrid gone, everyone had assumed the cold weather and snow would arrive in the coming months. The cold air coming in from the north would blow more and more dead leaves of off trees, and the first snowfall would be magical.<p>

No one expected a freak blizzard from seemingly nowhere. Emma certainly didn't, and as she stared out the window of the sheriff's station, she wondered if Elsa was playing a joke from Arendelle. Four inches had already fallen, and there were no indications that the storm was going to let up anytime soon. David had went home earlier to have lunch with Snow and Neal, and when the flakes started falling, Emma told him to stay home despite his arguments that he wanted to go back like he had originally planned. With a sigh, Emma glanced at the clock. Though it was only 3:30, she had a sneaking suspicion she too would be heading out before the little hand hit the four. Just as she reached for her phone to send a quick text to her mother, it rang, with Snow's smiling face lighting up the screen.

"Speak of the devil…" Emma muttered to herself before answering the call, "Hey."

"Hi, honey. It's starting to get bad out, maybe you should come home soon," the brunette said, her voice dripping with poorly concealed concern. Strangely enough, Emma found her heart fluttering at both her mother's concern and the pet name.

"I will. I'm just going to finish a couple things and switch the answering machine to go to my cell phone, and I'll be on my way."

"Alright. I've been watching the weather, and this isn't magical or a residual effect from Ingrid. It came in from Canada, but wasn't supposed to be here for a few more days."

"Well, that's a relief," Emma said as she tucked her phone into her neck so she could sign papers and talk at the same time. "I sort of thought it was Elsa, you know, doing a practical joke, but I guess it _would_ be kind of hard to send snow between realms. Unless there's anything else you need to tell me, I really want to get this paperwork done so I can leave. The sooner the better."

"That was it, I just wanted to make sure you're safe."

"I am," the blonde promised, moving her phone back into her hand. "I'll text you when I'm leaving, okay?"

"Hold on, your father wants to talk to you. By sweetie, I love you."

"Love you, too," Emma smile into the phone. She heard shuffling and muffled voices, then static as David put Snow's phone to his ear.

"Emma, do you want me to pick you up in the cruiser? It handles snow better."

"No, I'll be fine," Emma shook her head before realizing he couldn't see. "I'm pretty sure the bug's indestructible."

"Okay," David said with a sigh. Clearly, he was unhappy about her decision, but knew it was up to her. "I think tomorrow we should start taking separate cars to work so I don't have to take the cruiser home for lunch."

"Sounds good." She glanced out the window again. "You know what? Tell Mom I'm just gonna take Mrs. Ginger's incident reports home with me to sign and look over. I was hoping to have them done so I could drop them at Regina's on the way home, but I think I'd rather just get out of here. I'm gonna switch the phones over, then I'll be on my way, okay?"

"Alright, just be careful. You sure you don't want me to get you?"

"I'll be fine," she replied. "See you soon." With that, she ended the call and began putting the papers she'd been reading back in their manila folder. She switched the answering machine to forward all cars to her cell phone, and put that in her back pocket. Locking the door behind her, she made her way through the freshly fallen snow to her car, trying to keep the folder as dry as possible. She smiled to herself because David had shoveled a path to her car before he'd left. Though new snow had fallen on top of his path, it was still infinitely easier to walk through. Once safely inside her bug, she allowed herself a moment to close her eyes and breathe deeply. She _so_ wasn't looking forward to the drive ahead, but she wanted to be in her warm home.

With her parents, Henry, and a newborn.

Still, it was more than she had a right to ask for. She had her family, as dysfunctional as it was at times, and she couldn't be happier. After typing out a text to Snow asking for hot chocolate to be ready for when she got home, she started the car and pulled out of the parking lot to the barely plowed roads of Storybrooke.

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><p>"Where is she?" Snow asked, pacing in front of the window and holding a sleepy Neal in her arms. "She should have been home ten minutes ago."<p>

"Snow, I'm sure she's just driving slowly. In case you haven't noticed, there's a blizzard out there."

"She shouldn't be driving at all," the brunette shook her head and chewed on her bottom lip. "Besides, when does she ever drive slow? For the sheriff, I think she drives faster than anyone else in this town."

"She has something to live for now, she's being careful. That's a good thing."

"I know it is, but still... I'm calling her."

"I think that's a bad idea. She shouldn't be distracted," David reasoned.

"She could be in an accident or something, and we wouldn't even know," Snow insisted, trying to keep her voice down so the baby would finally drift off.

"She's a good driver," he insisted. "Besides, if she thought it was really bad, she'd pull over and call me."

"Would she?" Snow quirked an eyebrow up. "Because I'm not sure we're talking about the same Emma Swan."

"See, I think your perspective is colored by the Emma Swan you knew as Mary Margaret. I never got to know her like you did, so I have an easier time seeing her as my daughter. But you knew her when she wasn't close with Henry, or anyone for that matter, and I think that's stuck in your head a little bit."

"Maybe," she sighed and handed Neal to her husband. "But you didn't spend every single day of those few months wondering how the hell she got that way."

"But you have an idea," David said quietly, bouncing Neal gently in an attempt to get him to sleep.

"It isn't a pretty one," she practically whispered.

"Snow," David lifted her chin to force her to meet his gaze, "she's fine."

The phone rang, startling them both. Neal squirmed and opened his mouth, but before he could cry, David started rocking him.

"I'll get the phone," Snow said, running to the counter. Finally, the baby quieted down, and David walked into his and Snow's room to put him in his crib. Almost immediately, he fell asleep without bothering to fight it. With a small smile, David went into the kitchen to find an annoyed looking Snow.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Regina. The snow's too bad, so Henry's going to spend the night there."

"That's not Regina's fault," David said.

"No, it isn't, and I'm not upset. I was just hoping it would be Emma."

"I'll tell you what; if she isn't home or doesn't call us in five minutes, I'll go out and look."

"Okay," Snow smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. He placed a tender kiss to her lips, and she deepened it. The moment was broken by the phone again. Immediately, she removed herself from her husband's arms and answered. "Hello?"

"Snow? It's Dr. Whale." Upon hearing that, she shot a worried look at David, who immediately stilled. "I think you and David should come down to the hospital. There's been an accident–"

"How is she? What happened?" Snow's frantic voice cut him off, but he wasn't annoyed.

"Miss Swan is in critical condition. Her car is in pretty bad shape, and we're still assessing the extent of her injuries, but I suspect the news won't be too good."

"Okay, we'll be right there." Just as she was about to hang up, she asked, "Viktor, please take care of her."

"Of course," the usually tactless doctor surprised her with the sincerity in his voice. Snow heard a 'click' signaling the end of the conversation, and threw herself into David's arms.

"She got in an accident. He said it's not good."

"Oh my gods," he held her tighter and took a steadying breath, determined to be her rock.

"We should go," Snow pulled back after a moment and wiped the tears off her cheeks. "Maybe you should get the car warmed up. I'll be out in a minute."

"Okay," he tried to smile at her in reassurance, but he knew she saw through it. He grabbed the keys to the cruiser off the counter and did as told while Snow plucked a sleeping Neal from his crib.

"I'm sorry, my little prince. I know you don't like to be woken up, but this is really important so I'd appreciate it if you could cooperate with me, okay?" She continued talking to him as she put him in his jacket and other winter gear. She threw the diaper bag over her shoulder, then headed upstairs to Emma's room. "I'm not sure if you know who Emma is to you yet. She's your sister. But I know you know her voice. She's the one you always smile and wave your arms around at. She's the one who protected you from the Ice Queen, and I know she's always going to protect you." Snow put Emma's pillow back in place with a frown. Why wasn't her baby blanket there? She knew from her days as Mary Margaret that Emma always kept it there.

She had known Emma still had it because she'd seen it when she was doing laundry and wanted to make sure she got everything. Knowing her roommate wasn't the most organized person, she'd done a once-over of the loft. She'd seen something white sticking out from the pillow, so she picked it up, thinking it was a shirt. She was surprised it was her baby blanket. She'd smiled at the thought of her friend. It didn't surprise her that Emma would still have the only thing connecting her to her parents, but she hadn't expected her to keep it so close to her, or anywhere remotely discoverable.

Snow wondered where her daughter would have put it. Maybe with Henry sharing the room, she was worried about him finding it. So where would she put it…

The brunette opened the bottom dresser drawer on Emma's dresser. Henry most certainly wouldn't look through her clothes, and… there! She found what she was looking for and smiled triumphantly at Neal before remembering why she was looking for it in the first place.

"Okay sweetie, we have to go now. Thanks for helping me look." Snow made her way back downstairs, put the blanket in the diaper bag and put Neal in his car seat, then made the trek to the car.

"Got everything?" David asked as she slid into the passenger seat of the cruiser.

"Yeah, let's go." With that, he flicked the cruiser lights on and went as fast as he dared to the hospital. In the backseat, Neal seemed to understand the gravity of the situation and kept quiet so his parents could focus on driving.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you to everyone who read/reviewed last chapter! Your support means the world to me. I'm glad you liked it. I didn't think I'd have this chapter done so soon, and I debated waiting a day or two to post it in case chapter 3 takes longer than I anticipate, but I figured that I might as well post it. I wouldn't expect to get updates this fast normally. That being said, I've already started chapter 3 so we'll see what happens. Onto part two…

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><p>David flew into the first parking spot he could find. Snow barely waited for the car to stop before tumbling out of it, intent on getting to her baby girl as fast as possible. David put the car in park, then moved to the back of the car to take Neal and the diaper bag out. Unfortunately, he knows where the entrance of the hospital is from the numerous times his friends and family have had to pay a visit to Storybrooke's only doctor.<p>

The kind receptionist pointed him in the direction of Emma's room in the Emergency Department with a silent apology. If the receptionist was worried, then how bad of shape could his daughter be in? He refused to believe she was too badly injured. He'd seen her battle the fiercest of enemies and fall through portals without getting so much as a scratch; the few times she _had_ been injured, he remembered Snow's incessant worry and Emma's protests at the care Snow was trying to push on her.

So no, David couldn't believe that Emma Swan was too banged up over a car crash. Of course he knew how bad they could be from his false David Nolan memories, but the highest speed limit in Storybrooke was thirty five miles per hour. He knew from a training manual Emma had made him read that even in a head on collision at that speed, both drivers usually survived and made it out with fairly minor injuries. Emma was going to be just–

Lost in his thoughts about vehicular collisions, David managed to walk straight into a shell-shocked Snow. He looked down at the baby carrier to make sure Neal was fine; he was sleeping.

"Charming…" the brunette whispered, and David followed her line of sight to the bed, where a limp, blonde form was laying, with numerous tubes covering her body.

"That's not Emma," he said, shaking his head firmly. His words spurred Snow into motion, and she launched herself across the room and knelt at her daughter's bed.

"Emma? Emma, can you hear me? It's Mom." She did a once over, and her eyes took in every single tube that was connected to her princess. "David, she's on a respirator." Her voice grew more frantic with each word. He moved beside his wife and put the baby carrier on the ground. He desperately wanted to reach out to Emma, but he didn't know where he _could_ touch her without hurting her. There were lacerations where there weren't tubes, and numerous bandages.

"She's so pale," he said, his voice thick with emotion. From the doorway, Dr. Whale cleared his throat.

"I was hoping to be in the room when you arrived," he said apologetically. Snow stood up and scooped Neal into her arms while David shook the other man's hand. "As you can see, Miss Swan's had quite the adventure. She has two broken ribs, a concussion, some intracranial swelling, a broken wrist, several deep cuts, frostbite, and hypothermia."

"Oh my God," Snow's hand threw up to her mouth to stifle a gasp. "How?"

"I'm only a doctor, not an accident scene processor. However, I suspect her car skidded on ice, which caused her to plow into a light pole. The impact itself caused the broken ribs, concussion, cerebral swelling, and the broken wrist. It also caused the windshield to shatter, which is what gave her the lacerations. It allowed the freezing air into the car, exposing her to the elements and snowfall, causing the frostbite and hypothermia."

"Is she going to be okay? Why is she on a respirator?" Snow clutched Neal tighter.

"The latter is easier to answer; due to the extent of her injuries, I would like her energy to be focused on waking up and repairing her body, since we can breathe for her."

"So Emma's essentially on life support," David commented.

"No," Dr. Whale shook his head, "I suspect she _can_ breathe on her own, and she can regulate her own body temperature. None of her vital organs are compromised, this is just a precaution. Once the brain swelling goes down, I'll feel comfortable enough to take her off the respirator."

"Is she going to be okay?" Snow repeated. At that, Dr. Whale hesitated.

"Her injuries are severe. We still don't know if she went without oxygen for a period of time. I put in an order for a CT to make sure there's no internal bleeding. Right now, it's too early to say anything definitively. I wouldn't want to give you false hope. However, I will say that Miss Swan is a fighter, tilts the odds in her favor."

"She is," David let a small, proud smile grace his lips despite the gloominess of the situation.

"Is there anything else I can answer for you?"

"When should we expect her wake up?" Snow asked.

"It's difficult to say. Probably in the next twenty four to seventy two hours. If she does so before the swelling is greatly reduced, then I'll put her in a medically induced coma."

"So right now she's in a coma all by herself?"

"Yes," Dr. Whale nodded. "It's probably for the best at the moment."

"Thank you," Snow offered him a tiny smile, signaling they had no further questions. Now that he didn't have to be the medical professional for the time being, Dr. Whale allowed himself to be just Viktor, the man who'd grown fond of the injured woman he was tasked to care for.

"For what it's worth, I'm really rooting for her. And I can't imagine what you two are going through right now, so if there's anything you need, just let me know."

"That means a lot," The brunette blinked back tears, touched at her friend's words.

"I know she and I haven't always seen eye to eye on everything, but… I admire her and I respect her. I promise I will do everything in my power to give her back to you."

"I'll hold you to that," David said with a seriousness Snow had never heard before. "Don't expect to be treating her while you're drunk, or I swear to God–"

"I won't," Dr. Whale said, his jaw clenching with carefully controlled anger, though David had every right to be concerned since he _did_ operate on Owen when he was, as Snow had put it, drunk off his ass. "I was trying to tell you that without actually saying it."

"Well I just wanted things to be crystal clear with no room for misunderstandings," the king replied. "This is my daughter we're talking about. She means the world to Snow and I because of that. And maybe she doesn't mean all that much to you because she's just another person to you, but she isn't. She's the woman who's saved your ass along with everyone else's more times than I can count, and who will probably do so time and time again. For your sake, you better keep her alive."

"I fully intend to do so," Dr. Whale said with a practiced calm. He knew David was still bitter about his and Mary Margaret's one night stand (and he didn't blame him for still having hard feelings), but he didn't want that to color David's opinion of him. He knew that was perhaps asking too much, but he hoped that they could set their differences aside so that they could make the best decisions possible regarding Emma's care. After checking Emma's stats one more time, he bid his farewell and left the two parents to figure out what to do next.

"We should call Regina so she can let Henry know what happened," Snow said, her gaze lingering on Emma's pale face.

"I can, you should stay here with Emma," David offered. She smiled thankfully at him and took a seat in one of the chairs next to Emma's bed.

"When you come back, I'll grab us some food while you stay with her." Snow knew he only offered to call Regina so she could have a few minutes alone with their daughter. She wanted to give him the same chance.

"Sounds good," he replied. With that, he set out for the waiting room so he could make his call without disturbing any other patients.

With her husband gone, Snow allowed her mask to slip a little. She knew David was just as upset as her, and she didn't want him to feel like he had to be strong for her; they had to be strong for each other. And though she wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and weep, she knew she had to be Emma's rock until she was feeling better.

"Emma, honey, it's Mom. When your father was in a coma as David Nolan, he could hear me talking to him, so I'm just going to go ahead and talk to you because I think and hope you can hear me. And you might kill me for some of the things I'm going to say, but that's alright. I'd gladly take you pissed off at me because that would mean you came back to me." She sighed and took a deep, steadying breath. "Gods Emma, I love you so much. There's so much I want to say to you, so much I _need_ to say to you. You are the light of my life. Whenever I look at you, I can't help but think of how proud I am of you, of how proud I am to have you as a daughter… _my_ daughter. You're the most amazing person I've ever met, and I just _know_ you're going to be okay. You have to be." Snow's eyes filled up again, and this time, she didn't bother trying to keep the tears from spilling over. "Unfortunately, I _can_ imagine my life without you because I know what it's like because I've had to lose you so many times. But I hate it. Life without you is awful. You know, there were times when, during that year you and Henry were in New York, I'd go looking for you in the castle just to have a conversation with you. Except you weren't there, and each time I realized that, it hurt worse than the time before. Or Charming would say something and I'd wait for a sarcastic response from you, and you weren't there to give one. In your words, it sucked," she laughed and swiped at her eyes. "Even now, I keep waiting for you to open your eyes and tell me to stop this mushiness. So do me a favor, and get better, okay sweetheart?"

She looked down and realized she'd taken Emma's hand in hers. She frowned, not remembering having done so. She let it go and moved over to Neal's car seat. She gently laid him down in there so he could rest more comfortably. She then unzipped the diaper bag and pulled out Emma's baby blanket.

"You're definitely going to be mad at me for this, but I thought you might want it," she said as she draped it across her daughter's still body. "If anybody asks or questions it, I'll just say it was the first blanket I could find when running out of the house because I put it somewhere that was easy to access. No one else has to know you keep it in your dresser, or that you used to keep it under your pillow." She felt David's presence, and she looked behind her and motioned for him to come in.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his voice laced with concern.

"Yeah," she laughed quietly, suddenly self-conscious about her red, puffy eyes and stiff, damp cheeks. "Well, as okay as I can be given the circumstances. How about you?"

"Same," he nodded, putting on his best brave face. Snow saw through it, though. She always did.

"Charming, what happened isn't your fault."

"You knew something was wrong, but I chalked it up to the new-mother hormones floating around in your bloodstream. If I had just believed you the first time you said something, maybe she wouldn't be in such bad shape. And it's not just that," he ran the back of his hand over his eyes in an attempt to keep the tears at bay. "I should have made her take the cruiser while I took the bug for lunch. Or I should have just picked her up and dealt with the consequences of her being irritated. If she had–"

"You don't know that would have made any difference. Maybe the four-wheel drive would have failed. Maybe you both would be lying in a hospital bed with a million tubes sticking in and out of you. You can't focus on the what-ifs. You'll drive yourself crazy. Besides, she's a grown woman, not the little baby we put in that wardrobe a lifetime ago. We can't force her to do things she doesn't want to do or make decisions for her."

"I know," he sighed and sat down next to Snow.

"How much of what I said to Emma did you hear?" She asked.

"Just from when you put the blanket on her. When she wakes up and finds it on her, she's going to be pissed."

"It's a small price to pay if it makes her feel better, even if she won't admit it," the brunette replied. "Were you able to get ahold of Regina?"

"Yeah, she said she'll tell Henry. I told her she shouldn't drive over here tonight since things are stable as of right now and it's not worth risking them getting in an accident. The roads should get cleared overnight and she'll bring him over in the morning."

"The poor kid can't get a break," Snow sighed. "I hope he takes it alright."

"I'm sure he will, he's a strong kid," David replied.

"That doesn't mean he doesn't have a breaking point."

"Still, there's nothing we can do about it from here. Regina will know how to help him and hopefully by tomorrow he'll have calmed down some, and Emma will be doing much better," he said.

Snow glanced down at the baby carrier and sighed again. "David, Neal should be here as little as possible. He can't get sick. I know we can't bring him anywhere tonight, but… maybe Belle could watch him for a few hours a day? And I know you'll have to go to the station at least once a day, but Neal can't be there with you in case you need to go out on a call. And he can't stay here with me, and Emma shouldn't be alone."

"As reluctant as I am to suggest this, I know a guy who has nothing to do all day who would love to sit here with Emma."

"Hook," Snow smiled. "I actually think that's a great idea."

"You're supposed to be on my side," he said glumly.

"I'm on Emma's side. You and I both know how happy he makes her. Having him with her might make a difference, and anything's worth a shot. At the very least, we should call him to let him know about the accident," Snow said as she fished her cell phone out of her pocket. "I'll call him and get us some food. Do you want anything in particular?"

"I'll have whatever you have," he said. She gave him a squeeze on the shoulder before leaving the room. Once the door was closed behind her, David turned to his daughter and took hold of her hand. "Emma, I am so sorry. This is all my fault, I should have made you come with me, or take the cruiser… I should have listened to your mom. I was supposed to protect you, but I keep failing." He paused, waiting for her to crack an eye open, moan about the bright lights, and tell him that she could take care of herself. Of course, she didn't –couldn't– but logic didn't stop the disappointment from bubbling up in his chest. "Ems, you gotta get better. I already miss your snarky remarks and the way you smile at Henry. On a deeper note, which I'm sure you'll give me Hell for later, life isn't the same without you. It just isn't. I love you, my princess," he whispered as he brushed a blonde lock off her forehead. "There are so many things I want to tell you, but I think I'll wait till you can respond. So how about for now I tell you a story?" He took a deep breath and began his tale. "Once Upon a time, a little princess had her daddy wrapped right around her finger. He couldn't have loved her more. She was his whole universe, even though he'd only known her for five minutes. He knew she couldn't stay with him, though. He had to protect her even if it meant he would never see her again. Though some would say he bravely fought off the bad guys who wanted to hurt his princess, he thinks that the little princess was the brave one. She was so tiny and fragile, but she never made a sound even with all the chaos going on around her." His lips quirked up a bit as he once again grasped her hand. "Maybe she wasn't as fragile as she looked. He put her in a wardrobe, knowing it was the only way to save her. He felt a blade pierce his shoulder, and he fell to the ground. As his vision began blurring, he watched in horror as the bad guys violently opened the wardrobe. He could feel the life draining out of him, but he was okay with it because he could see that his sweet, precious, little princess was safe."

"And one day, she would tell him that she doesn't need him to save her anymore," Snow smiled tearfully from the doorway with a tray in her arms. "And on that same day, the princess's parents would have to accept the fact that their little baby was a full grown, extremely independent woman who grew up as anything but a princess."

"But they love her just as much as when they first laid eyes on her. They always will," David finished.

"I think I know where Henry got his love for stories," the brunette said. "Is pizza okay? I was hoping the smell might help Emma wake up. You know how she loves her pizza."

"Snow, Dr. Whale said he would put her in a medically induced coma even if she wakes up before the swelling goes down."

"Yeah, but what if the swelling's already gone down and we're just waiting for her to wake up?"

"I guess waking up at all is a positive sign," he sighed and accepted the slice of pizza on a flimsy paper plate. A knock on the door startled them, and Dr. Whale walked in, smiling apologetically.

"I'm sorry, it looks like you've just gotten settled in. We're ready to take Miss Swan for a full body CT, and I think it would be best to move her up to her permanent room afterwards." His eyes landed on the cream-colored blanket, but he said nothing.

"If you'd just give us a minute with her, we'll pack up and meet her in her room," David said.

"I want to stay with her. I'll wait outside of the CT room, but I want to be as close as possible to her at all times," Snow said in a tone that left no room for argument.

"That's fine," the doctor replied, nodding in understanding. "We'll come in and get her when you're ready, but I'd like to do this in a timely manner."

"Of course, thank you."

Dr. Whale closed the door to give the family some privacy. David took the baby blanket off of Emma's bed while Snow condensed Neal's things. Lastly, he stuck the blanket in the diaper bag and brushed a thumb over Emma's forehead.

"I love you, sweetheart. I'll see you real soon, okay?" He pecked Snow on the lips and opened the door. Dr. Whale came in and prepared Emma's bed for moving while the nurse told David Emma's new room number. With the diaper bag in one hand and the baby carrier in the other, he made his way to the second floor of Storybrooke General, completely trusting Snow to take care of their baby girl until they were all upstairs together.

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><p>"Henry!" Regina called up the stairs, the knot in her stomach tightening as each second ticked by. She was in no way happy to hear about the accident. Though she'd never admit it aloud, she had a huge amount of respect for Emma. Maybe in another world where she hadn't tried to kill her or put her under a sleeping curse, they could have been friends.<p>

"Coming!" Henry replied. Sure enough, the pitter patter of his feet echoed in the strangely quiet house. When he got to the bottom of the stairs, he frowned. "Mom, what's wrong?"

"Why don't we go sit on the couch," she said, draping an arm around his shoulder and guiding him into the living room.

"What happened? Is everything okay?"

Once sitting, she took a deep breath and collected her thoughts. "Emma was in an accident. She's in the hospital, but David said she should be okay."

"Wh–what kind of accident?" Henry did his best to remain calm. He knew from experience that freaking out never helped anything.

"She was driving home, and they think she skidded on a patch of ice and slammed into a telephone pole. She's stable, Henry. She's fine right now."

"I wanna see her," he said with finality.

"Sweetheart, we can't drive there tonight. It's too bad out. If there was a big possibility she wouldn't make it through the night, I would absolutely bring you in a heartbeat, but–"

"You said 'big possibility'. So right now there's a small possibility she won't be okay?" Henry's voice grew frantic.

"She… suffered some severe injuries, but you know Emma. She's as stubborn and thick-headed as they come. A lot of people have tried to kill her a lot of times, and I'm pretty sure she's unkillable. Besides, I think it would take a little more than a telephone pole to take her out."

"Can I talk to her?" He fought against the tickling in the back of his throat. Regina could see his inner battle, but she decided not to comment on it for the moment. Even just a few years ago, he would have let himself be comforted. Now in his early teenage years, she could see him closing himself off (though she wondered how much that had to do with his age and how much it had to do with being raised by her and Emma). She didn't want to make him uncomfortable. With his latest question, her heart dropped. He was asking all the questions that she didn't have happy or good answers to.

"She's not awake… I'm sorry. I… the best I can do is let you talk to David or Mary Margaret." He mulled that over for a few moments, then shook his head.

"No. I think I'll just go back to my room, maybe make her a card or something."

"Okay, sweetheart," she brushed a mop of dark hair out of his eyes. "You know you can talk to me, right?"

"Yeah," he mumbled, already shrugging her arm off his shoulder. Regina watched him fly up the stairs and sighed. She hated feeling this helpless.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm sorry for the delay in posting this next chapter. I'm battling the start of a cold and some other personal things. Needless to say, I started this chapter right after posting chapter two in hopes that I'd get it up in a relatively timely manner. As far as future updates go, I'd expect once a week, maybe twice a week. Thank you guys for all your reviews and kind words!

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><p>"I'm looking for Emma Swan's room," Killian proclaimed as he walked up to the receptionist's desk. Immediately, her face softened.<p>

"She's in room 211," she responded. "I'm only supposed to permit family, though, I'm sorry…"

"Does her boyfriend count as family?" He asked. He was sure she'd give him Hell later, but he'd gladly deal with her wrath if it meant he could see her now.

"I suppose," her lips twitched up in a smirk, and she gave him a wink as she nodded for him to go.

"Thank you," he said sincerely. He was surprised to find room 211 Emma-less, but David was sitting in one of the chairs against the wall, look far more tired than Killian had ever seen. "Mate?"

"Hook," the younger man nodded his greeting. "How'd you get here with all the snow?"

"I walked," he shrugged like it was no big deal. "Anything I could do to get to Emma. Speaking of, where is she?"

"She's having a Cat scan right now," David replied. At Killian's perplexed look, he elaborated. "It's another name for a CT scan… which you probably don't know what that is either. It takes a detailed picture of the inside of your body so the doctors can see what's going on."

"Oh… well, hopefully it bears good news. How is she?"

"She isn't awake. She has a pretty extensive list of injuries, so it's actually probably better that she isn't awake to feel them. But she's uh, she's hanging in there."

"How's the baby doing," he gestured to Neal.

"Thankfully, he's decided to sleep through this whole ordeal. We'll have to take him home tomorrow because there's too many germs here and he can't get sick. I'll also have to switch the answering machine to go to my phone instead of Emma's, so I'll take care of a few things while I'm at the station. Would it be possible for you to stay with Emma while Snow and I aren't here? We don't want her to be alone. In fact, we'd rather not leave her at all, but–"

"You don't have to explain; while I'm not a father or a particularly responsible person, I do understand that when one has a duty, he must attend to it. It would be my absolute pleasure to watch after Emma."

"This doesn't mean I approve of you," David said, crossing his arms. "But, you make her happy, and I just want her to be happy."

"As do I," Killian said. "Luckily, she seems to be happy with me. But if she ever isn't, then we shall be no more."

"Good," David nodded. The two fell into a nearly awkward silence until the darker haired man asked,

"Does the young lad know yet?"

"Henry? I presume Regina's told him by now. I called her fifteen minutes ago."

"Will he be coming by?"

"Not unless Emma takes a turn for the worst," he replied with a shudder at the thought of what could possibly happen. "It's too bad out."

David's phone rang. Though his ringer was turned down low, it sounded incredibly loud in the otherwise silent room. Neal stirred and began to scream his protests at having been woken up. David looked torn, seeing that the caller was Henry. He didn't want to ignore his grandson, but there was also a screaming baby to be dealt with.

"If I may," Killian gestured to the baby.

"What do you know–"

"I may have been a fearsome pirate captain in the past, but I did learn a thing or two about babies. Actually, children love me."

"Okay fine," David sighed and answered. "Henry, whoa, calm down. Say that again?" As he tried to make out what Henry was saying, Killian bent over and gently took Neal out of his car seat and rocked him gently. David never took his eye off him, and was surprised that his sort-of friend seemed like a natural. "Emma's doing okay."

"But Mom said there was a chance she might… might…"

"Henry, last I heard from Dr. Whale is that while things aren't great, they could be a lot worse. The biggest issue right now is some brain swelling and concussion, but I think your mom's been hit on the head before and survived, so she's going to be fine."

"I googled head injuries, and it said that each time someone hits there head, there's more and more chances for damage."

Damn kid was too smart for his own good.

"Henry, do you remember when she and Snow fell through the portal after the Curse broke? And you had a hard time believing they were going to come back?"

"Yeah."

"They did, didn't they? And you know what? Emma's gonna make it through this, too. I promise everything's okay right now." In the background, David heard who he presumed was Regina say something.

"Mom wants me to go downstairs and eat dinner. Could you text me before bed and give me an update?"

"Of course," David promised. "I'll let you know if anything changes."

"Okay," Henry paused and took a deep breath. "Could you… could you give her a hug for me?"

"I think I can do that," he said, though he wasn't sure it would actually be possible with all the tubes connected to his daughter.

"Bye, Gramps," with that, Henry hung up. David flipped his phone shut and jammed it in his back pocket, then proceeded to lift a now quieted Neal out of Killian's arms and into his. The baby looked up at him with innocent blue eyes, making David smile.

"He has your eyes," Killian commented. "Emma has her mother's."

"She _does_ look a lot like Snow," David agreed. "Even when she was a baby she did. This little guy? I like to think he at least has my nose, but Snow tells me I'm imagining it. It's a lot harder to tell when they're this young." He turned his curious gaze to Killian. "How'd you know how to calm him down?"

"I've always found the sea to be comforting, so I tried to mimic the motion," Killian shrugged.

"Well, it worked. Thank you."

"Anytime," he smiled. From outside the door, the two men heard Snow sounding off question after question to who they assumed was Dr. Whale. They exited the room so that Emma's bed could be pushed in and positioned correctly.

"Hi, Killian," Snow greeted. David shot her a questioning look at the use of his first name.

"Good evening, milady," the dark haired man bowed his head slightly.

"Any news?" David asked as he handed Neal to his wife.

"No," she shook her head, "he said he'll know more once that Cat scan comes in." The three watched from the doorway as Dr. Whale moved around Emma's bed, adjusting tubes and monitors. He stepped back, content with the way everything was arranged, and went into the hall to greet the family.

"Hi guys," he said, clasping his hands behind his back. "Unfortunately, I don't have anything new to share. The CT should be back in the next fifteen minutes, then we can go from there."

"So what are the options?" David asked.

"There are many scenarios that could play out. If the brain swelling has gone down, then we can take her off the respirator and wait for her to wake up on her own. It's highly unlikely that there's any internal bleeding, but if there is, then we'll have to go in surgically to fix it. But you should focus on the positives; her body temperature isn't dangerously low anymore, and she hasn't suffered any long-term effects from the frostbite." He looked as if he wanted to say more, but his beeping pager caught his attention. "I'm sorry, there's another emergency I have to take care of."

"Of course, thank you," Snow said. The group watched them walk out, then turned their attention to Emma.

"Now we wait," David sighed, easing himself into one of the chairs. Snow did the same, being careful not to jostle Neal. Killian took the seat on the opposite side of Emma's bed, and the three sat in silence for a few moments.

"What exactly happened," Killian asked. It suddenly occurred to Snow that she hadn't told Killian _how_ Emma got into this predicament, just that she _did_.

"She was driving home from work," she answered, knowing her husband still harbored feelings of guilt despite her earlier insistence that he was in no way, shape, or form responsible for what happened. "They think it was black ice, but… she hit a light pole. The impact is what caused most of her internal damage, but it broke the windshield, which left her no protection against the cold."

"The frostbite and hypothermia," Killian nodded in understanding.

The stark reality of the situation finally registered when they all, seemingly simultaneously, realized how lucky Emma was. Nobody wanted to say it out loud, but Emma probably wouldn't have lasted another few minutes if she hadn't been found. With that realization, the beeping of the heart monitor and the whoosh of the respirator became apparent.

"We came so close to losing her," Snow whispered. David rested a hand on her knee and squeezed it, while Killian bowed his head in an attempt to give the two parents some privacy, but also to hide his own emotions. On a basic level, he understood that parental love was stronger than romantic love, even if it was true love. He didn't want to make it all about him.

"But we didn't," David said determinately, "and we won't. She's safe now."

"She probably built up an immunity to cold after her first adventure with Elsa," the darker haired man commented with a smirk. Snow and David smiled, grateful for his injection of humor.

"If anyone would, it would be Emma," David said, staring proudly at his not-so-little girl.

"I think I'm going to make her an emergency heating kit… after I wrap her in bubble wrap and never let her go," Snow said with a definitive nod. This time, she decided, was the last time that something bad happened to her daughter. She didn't care if Emma was three or thirty; the blonde was just going to have to deal with it.

"I don't think she'd take very kindly to that, Snow," David sighed. He too wished there was same way to keep his baby girl out of danger for good, but he knew that wasn't possible.

"Well I can't just keep sitting in hospitals watching my daughter fight for her life! It isn't like this is an every now and then occurrence. It feels like there's always some crisis, and we lose her, or she gets really hurt, and I just… it needs to stop, David. It needs to stop."

"I don't disagree, but I think you're forgetting the fact that she's thirty years old. She's not a little kid, we can't tell her what to do. I think that after she wakes up, and recovers a bit, then we can have a conversation with her about it. But the last thing she needs right now is to wake up and immediately be read the riot act. That won't help anything."

Snow put Neal in his car seat, then slumped back in her chair. "I hate waiting," she whispered.

"Let's go for a walk," David said, picking up the car seat in one hand and taking Snow's in the other. "I think we both need some air."

Killian was well aware of what the king was doing; he and Snow had both gotten a few minutes alone with Emma, but he hadn't. Not yet, anyway, and since Snow was clearly in need of a moment to freak out to David (in the way Killian knows Emma does only with him), David took the opportunity to help out his mate. For that, Killian was grateful. Husband and wife closed the door behind them, and Killian allowed himself to drop the mask he'd been wearing all evening.

"Emma, love, you've got to stop scaring me like this. While I have no doubt you're going to pull through –you always do– you have no idea how terrifying it is to see the person you love most laying in a hospital bed with too many tubes to count attached to said person. I'm not even sure where I should touch you. There are a lot of things I'd like to say to you, things that I know you're not ready to hear yet. It would be unfair of me to tell you these things, though, seeing as you can't escape or reply. And… I'd like to believe you can hear me, but when I get to say what I want to say, I want to be sure you can hear me." He sat forward in his chair and brushed his thumb across the top of her hand. He desperately wanted to hold it, but was unsure if it was safe to do so. "I hear you've got a couple of broken ribs. I wonder if they're the same ones I broke. I'll have to be on my best behavior so that I don't make you laugh, because laughing with broken ribs hurts like hell." He paused, contemplating his next words. "Emma… I am _so_ sorry for all of the stupid things I've done that have almost taken me out of your life. The pain of broken ribs whilst laughing is nothing compared to the pain of seeing someone you… care about… lying helpless to the world. You know, when I first heard about the accident, I tried so hard to be even just a tiny bit angry with you, just so that the pain and fear would stop. Because if you weren't so bloody stubborn, we wouldn't be in this mess right now. But I also understand that if it weren't for your stubbornness, you might not even be here at all. The things you've had to survive –both physically and emotionally– it blows me away. I am in _awe_ of you, Emma Swan. You inspire me every single day to be a good person, because even after having gone through _everything_ you've gone through, you are still the most selfless, caring, and _good_ person I've ever met. You didn't let the darkness consume you." Killian had plenty more to say. He could have taken up the whole night with things he wanted to talk to her about. But the door flew open, and Dr. Whale all but ran in, followed by David and Snow.

"Move," Dr. Whale commanded, clearly having gone into doctor mode. Killian instantly complied, and stood next to the anxious parents.

"What happened?" Killian asked. Snow just shook her head tearfully, so David spoke,

"Internal bleeding."

"What!?" Killian felt himself go into panic mode. All of a sudden, the monitors started beeping, and he swore that when Emma's heart monitor went flat with that god awful tone, his heart stopped, too. "Emma!"

"We need to get her to the OR right now!" Dr. Whale shouted to a nurse, who started chest compressions. "Page Dr. Smith and whoever else is on call." Without saying a word to the family, he and his team rushed Emma out of her room to the OR.

"How did it get so bad so fast?" Killian asked around a lump in his throat.

"They didn't detect any internal bleeding in their initial assessment. The full body CT showed one of her ribs had punctured a blood vessel, and… well, you get the picture," David answered.

"What did he say about the brain swelling?"

"Nothing," Snow replied. "He didn't mention that at all."

"She's going be so mad when she wakes up," Killian shook his head.

"Maybe it'll teach her a lesson," she sighed, flopping down into her chair. "Not that I want any of this to be happening, but… I hope she learns not to be so damn proud."

"I need to call Henry," David said in a bit of a daze. "I promised I'd call if something happened." Just as he was fishing his phone out of his pocket, they heard a code blue announced over the intercom.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I apologize for taking so long to update. I've been battling a wicked (I'm a New Englander lol) bad cold all week and have had a super obnoxious amount of work. My new favorite show, tied with OUaT, of course, is called Stalker, and last night was a really big episode, so my thoughts have been consumed by that, making thinking about anything else kind of hard. I seriously, seriously recommend Stalker. Despite all the criticism it has received, I think it's wonderful in every aspect. Thank you all so much for your support. It means the world to me.

Oh, and a suggestion: follow me on tumblr (my url is captainswan-densi-caskett if you type it in the tumblr search engine) for updates on how far along I am on a chapter. If you do follow me, could you send me a message either on here or tumblr so that I know my readers are following me, and can try to give daily updates on where I am with chapters.

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><p>"Come on, Emma," Dr. Whale muttered under his breath as he performed chest compressions on the operating table. "We need to open her up, now. The blood's pushing on her heart. Where the hell is Dr. Smith?"<p>

"He should be here any minute," a nurse, Elizabeth, replied.

"Okay…" he paused, weighing his options. "She needs a thoracostomy, at least until Dr. Smith gets here." Quickly yet meticulously, Dr. Whale cut a one-inch incision by Emma's ribcage and inserted a flexible plastic tube. Immediately, blood gushed through the tube and poured onto the floor. "Bucket!" a bucket was brought over and he placed the tube in there. After a few moments, he clamped it. "The blood will build back up, but she can't afford to lose too much more blood. What blood type is she?"

"It isn't here," Elizabeth said, shaking her head as she flipped through Emma's chart. "This is the first time she's been treated here, and she hasn't transferred her medical records yet."

"A test will take too long. Please get me some O negative."

"I'll have someone from the blood bank bring some up right away."

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><p>"What the hell is going on!?" Regina's voice startled David out of his swirling thoughts.<p>

"Oh, hi," he stuttered.

"Is everything okay? You weren't answering me," suddenly, the brunette's voice softens, and though he's only talking to her on the phone, David can picture her trying-to-pretend-not-to-care face.

"No, no, it's not okay. They just took her into emergency surgery. We heard a code blue, and I can't imagine who else it would be for… I think now might be a good time to bring Henry down." He didn't know why he was so calm. His daughter was lying on a cold metal slab, dying, and he wasn't freaking out. He chalked it up to shock, and he wasn't complaining. Snow was sitting next to him, and he could feel the anxiety radiating off of her. Clearly, she wasn't going to be the calm one this time.

"Oh my God, okay. We'll be over as soon as we can, but as you know, the roads are pretty bad. I don't know if you've had a chance to look out the window, but it's stopped snowing. Still, the dwarves haven't gotten to clearing the roads all that well."

"Be safe, Regina," David said.

"We will," with that, she hung up. David sighed and flipped his phone closed, then slid it in his pocket. Instinctively, Snow reached over and latched onto her husband's hand.

"She's going to be okay," she said with conviction. "She has to be."

"If there's one thing I know about your daughter, it's that she'll do whatever she has to in order to return to her family," Killian piped up from the corner. "I take it this is no exception."

"He's right," David nodded in agreement. "Emma's just found us again. She'll come back to us."

The three fell in silence again, staring at the empty spot where Emma's bed should have been.

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><p>Henry was scared. He hadn't even been this scared when Peter Pan had kidnapped him. At least, then, he'd had some control of the situation. Now, he didn't have any. And Regina wasn't telling him anything, either. He was smart, though, and it didn't take him long to realize that something was seriously wrong with his mom, because there was no way she'd changed her mind and decided to drive the few miles to the hospital, especially not after Emma's accident. He got lost in his thoughts, horrible images and scenarios playing over and over in his head. He only came back to the present after Regina shook his shoulder a few times.<p>

"Honey, we're here," she said quietly.

"Okay," he fumbled with his seatbelt, still a little dazed. The brunette studied his face and frowned.

"Henry, it's okay to not be okay, you know. I can't imagine how–"

"I'm fine," he replied in that deep voice she was still getting used to. The tone, though, that was all Emma, she thought. It didn't surprise her, though. He had fake memories of being raised by the blonde, and a real year of it. To make matters… interesting… that real year happened to be during his transition from boyhood to his teenage years, when his personality was very much influenced by the people around him. So no, it didn't surprise her that he was putting up his own walls and trying to distance himself (and she briefly wondered if she had anything to do with it, then decided that she wouldn't cut someone off).

He threw the car door open and stomped out, and she quickly followed suit. She took a deep breath and braced herself for whatever was waiting for them inside those doors.

Henry walked into Emma's room, fully expecting to find her lying in bed and rolling her eyes at Snow's hovering.

"Where is she?" He asked, turning frantic eyes to David.

"She's in surgery," Snow answered instead as she got up and moved across the room to hug him. "They took her in forty five minutes ago, so we should be hearing something shortly." The four looked toward the door as soon as they heard Regina's soft footfalls, her sneakers, jeans, and sweatshirt a strange sight.

"I brought coffee," the older woman tried to smile, but failed.

"Thank you," Snow said. Regina handed out the coffee, and Killian was surprised that she'd brought one for him. As she sat down on the other side of Snow, she said,

"I really am sorry about, you know…" she gestured around, not really sure how to word it. She noticed Henry didn't have a seat. "You guys probably don't want he here, Henry, you should take my–"

"No, no, you're fine," David said as he got up. "I'll go find another chair, and I'm sure Emma would appreciate you being here if she was conscious." Snow's gaze stayed on him until he was out the door. Henry, the poor kid, was bouncing his foot up and down.

"You get that from her," the brunette commented, offering her grandson a soft smile.

"What?" Henry looked over at her, clearly confused.

"Bouncing your foot, it's a nervous habit. Emma does the same thing."

"Oh," his gaze shifted down to his now-still foot. They all sat in silence because there wasn't anything to say. What _could_ be said? The eerie calm was broken when David burst through the door with a smile on his face and another plastic chair in his hands.

"What is it?" Snow jumped up eagerly.

"A nurse found me in the hall. The trauma surgeon is here and her heart's started again."

"That's wonderful!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around her husband and ignoring the way the chair dug into her abdomen. Baby Neal, apparently, wasn't too fond of the commotion. He wrinkled up his nose and let out a quiet cry of protest, causing the hopeful couple to pull apart. Snow quickly moved over to the car seat and picked her son up while David set the chair down next to Killian and sat in it. All it took was a few seconds in Snow's arms for the baby to quiet. "Do you want to hold him, Henry?" She asked.

"No thanks," the teenager mumbled and shook his head. She sent a concerned look at Regina, who put a hand on Henry's knee.

"Henry, Emma's going to be just fine," Regina assured him. "Like David said, she's already doing better."

"Yeah, but…" Henry hesitated, but decided to continue. "This isn't magical. This isn't from the fairytales. This is real world stuff, and the real world isn't rainbows and butterflies, it's… usually not good. And her _heart stopped_. That's really bad."

And suddenly, Snow, David, and Killian felt out of their depth. They'd all comforted Emma at one point or another, but that was Emma. They suspected Henry was at least a little bit different, and though David had taken care of him while she and Snow were in the Enchanted Forest, Henry had changed a bit since then, so he wasn't sure how to proceed. None of them had comforted this 'new Henry' because Emma had been the one to comfort him and make him feel better and reassure him. Thankfully, Regina answered him.

"You're right, it's pretty bad. But she's doing better now, and you know what? And I hate to admit this, but she's the toughest person I've ever met, and I'd imagine it would take a lot more than the injuries she has to… you know… kill her," she finished somewhat lamely. She didn't want to sugarcoat anything, but she also still saw the little baby she'd adopted all those years ago, and her first instinct was to protect him both physically and emotionally.

"Regina's right," Killian said with conviction. "Your mom is going to be absolutely fine." At that, Henry's eyes snapped over to his, and he searched them the same way Emma always did. Satisfied that Killian had complete faith in what he was saying, he allowed himself to relax slightly. He knew Killian and Emma were True Loves, so they had a special connection. If Killian could feel that Emma would be okay, then Henry believed it.

"Is her car totaled?" Henry asked.

"Um… maybe…" David answered slowly. "I actually haven't seen it yet."

"Oh, cause she really liked it."

"It's pretty old, Henry. It might've been time for her to get a new one anyway, plus it obviously isn't that good in this weather," Snow replied.

"Gramma, do you even know what that car means to her?" When neither Snow nor anyone else responded, he continued, "That's where she met my dad. He had stolen it, and then she stole it, but he was sleeping in the back seat. That's where they met, and it… I think it means a lot to her, especially now that Dad's gone."

"Emma stole a stolen car?" Regina raised an eyebrow.

"It was a long time ago," Henry clarified, though it was obvious that she'd stolen it way before Henry had been born or even conceived. "She's changed. But that's not the point. You guys _have_ to fix it."

"Once Emma's out of surgery, I'll call Leroy and see what he can do," David said. The room once again fell into a tense silence as everyone's thoughts swirled around. After what felt like hours, Dr. Whale quietly opened the door and offered the group a hopeful smile. They all made a move to stand up, but he held up his hand.

"Don't worry about it," he said in a soft voice, mindful of the sleeping baby in Snow's arms. "She's in recovery right now, and she'll be brought up in a few minutes. Everything went wonderfully after the first bump in the road, as I'm sure you heard."

"So her heart stopped?"

"Yes, off and on for about five minutes. After the first initial code, we didn't feel the need to call another one every time she went into cardiac arrest because anyone and everyone who could help was already in the OR with me. As soon as Dr. Smith arrived, it was smooth sailing."

"And she'll be okay?" David asked.

"On the way up, I've asked for them to do another CAT scan so we can see where her brain swelling is at. After that, we'll know more. However, I don't think there's any more immediate danger. The internal bleeding has been repaired, and everything inside looked fine other than that. Unfortunately, we had to break a few more ribs to gain access to the bleeding, but she should be fine, assuming the brain damage was minimal. Now it's just a waiting game."

"I hate waiting," Snow grumbled almost inaudibly, causing David to hide a smirk.

"Do you… do you think she'll wake up? I googled some stuff, and it said that even if the person wakes up, they might not be the same," Henry piped up, and though he tried hard to look like the teenager he was, he looked more like the ten year old that had brought Emma to Storybrooke all those years ago. Dr. Whale's face softened, and he walked further into the room to crouch down in front of Henry.

"All of my medical experience tells me that she'll probably wake up. As far as if she'll be the same… it's way too early to tell. That depends on a lot of factors, and we don't know how long she'd been unconscious for or how hard she hit her head. But sometimes my medical expertise fails me, and I'm surprised. Remember when you ate the apple turnover? To be honest, I didn't think you were going to wake up, but you did. So, I'm sure Emma will be alright."

"That was magic," Henry pointed out. "That's different." Though Dr. Whale hadn't planned on Henry saying what he said, but quickly thought of a way to get his point across.

"Still, it was love that brought you back, right? You love Emma and she loves you, so that's why you woke up. It's the same thing here. Emma loves you and everyone else here, so she'll wake up because of that."

"Okay," Henry said, chewing his bottom lip. Though he wasn't thoroughly convinced, he knew that was as good of an answer as he was going to get. Dr. Whale's pager went off, and he silenced it as quickly as he could so as not to wake Neal up. He read it and smiled,

"The CT's done and they're bringing her back up now. I'll let you know as soon as I know anything." With that, he left. A few minutes later, the door opened again, and Emma's bed, with her in it, was rolled in.

"Mom!" Henry shouted, but frowned when he saw the respirator. "What's in her mouth?"

"It's breathing for her," Snow answered quietly. "Just until she wakes up."

"Oh."

"You can go see her if you want. You can talk to her, she might be able to hear you." Slowly, Henry walked over to the bed. A nurse smiled at him as she secured it in place before bidding her goodbye and leaving.

"Mom?" He carefully took her hand. "Wake up."

"Even if she isn't in a coma anymore, they probably gave her sedatives to make sure she didn't wake up during the surgery," David said.

"Honey, I think Neal needs a new diaper. Why don't you come with me?"

"Of course," he said, and caught Regina's eye. The baby didn't need to be changed.

"And I think I saw a Ben and Jerry's vending machine in the hall. I'm going to get one, do you want any, Henry?" Regina asked.

"Sure. Anything chocolate, please." Hook followed suit and quietly slipped out with the other adults, to give Henry some privacy with his mom.

"Hey… Gramma said you might be able to hear me. I hope you can. Mom, you really scared me. And part of me thinks you'll be okay, because you always are, but part of me isn't so sure because this isn't from fairytales. And you once told me, in New York, that real life is nothing like fairytales. So I'm not really sure what to believe. Obviously Gram and Gramps have hope and totally believe you'll be fine, because that's how they always are. Dr. Whale isn't sure. Mom keeps telling me you'll be okay, but I sort of think she's just saying that because as my mom, she has to. And Killian, well… he's here, just so you know. He's absolutely certain you're gonna be okay. And I want to believe him, and maybe sometime I can tell you why I believe him more than anyone, when it comes to things about you. But I don't think you're ready to hear it yet." He paused, wondering if he should move onto a lighter subject. Deciding that if Emma was awake, she'd be thoroughly done with the mushiness, he said, "You'll be happy to know that there's a Ben and Jerry's vending machine down the hall. I'm sure Gramma will let you have as much ice cream as you want." At first, Emma's hand twitched under his, and he thought he imagined it. Then, it did it again, and he knew it was real. "Hold on, I'll get Dr. Whale."

He ran out of the room as fast as he could, and straight into the rest of his family, who were talking to Dr. Whale by the ice cream machine.

"Her hand moved!" He yelled excitedly. Dr. Whale picked up his pace, and they all trailed behind him into Emma's room.

"Her CT just came back, as I was telling your uh, grandparents, and what you're saying is consistent with what I saw on the scan," he said as he checked Emma's vitals. "I feel comfortable taking her off the respirator and seeing how she does, since she's no longer comatose."

"Do whatever you have to do, whatever's best for her," Snow said.

"Okay," he nodded. He got the necessary equipment and prepared to take the tube out. He did so agonizingly slowly, and everyone held their breath as they waited for Emma to take one of her own.


	5. Chapter 5

I apologize for taking so long to get this up. Some of you might have read "Would It Kill You to Trust Someone?", which I had to write because the idea wouldn't leave me alone. So that took up most of this week, and on top of that, I'm currently dealing with a semi-major family emergency which hopefully won't escalate. And, to top it off, I am battling a respiratory infection, which has knocked me off my feet. Just wanted to give you a heads up in case future updates are a bit sporadic, but I promise I'm trying.

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><p>Within seconds, Emma coughed and sputtered, causing everyone to sigh in relief. She slowly cracked one eye open and said,<p>

"What the hell was that?" She sounded horrible due to her dry throat and not-recently-used voice, but everyone still laughed because their Emma was still there and not lost to oxygen-deprived brain cells.

"Miss Swan, do you know where you are?" Dr. Whale asked, flashing his penlight in her eyes.

"Since I woke up to your lovely face, I'm assuming the hospital."

"How are you feeling?" He ignored her crankiness, something that he had years of practice doing because most patients were, understandably, cranky.

"Like I got run over by a truck and spent a week in the Sahara, but other than that, fine." It was only when Snow shot her a look did she realize just how many people were in the room. "Why are all of you guys here?"

"Emma, do you remember what happened?" David asked.

"Um…" the blonde's nose scrunched up as she thought about the last thing she remembered. "Maybe? I remember driving home, and then sliding on ice, and hitting a… telephone pole." She looked up at her father to see if she'd remembered correctly. He gave her a slow, tight-lipped nod.

"You've suffered several broken ribs, a concussion, frostbite, hypothermia, numerous lacerations, internal bleeding, which required emergency surgery… you were in a medically-induced coma," he paused to let his words sink in. He suspected that, due to the pain medications, she was processing everything at a much slower rate than she normally would. "Do you have any recollection of any of this?"

"Nope," she shakes her head slowly and winces.

"Is you head hurting?"

"You just told me I have a concussion, what the hell do you think?"

Ignoring her snapping remark, he said, "I also suppose it's as good a time as any to inform you that you coded on the table."

Finally unable to restrain herself, Snow laced Emma's fingers with her own.

"Like… I died for a few minutes?"

"Five to be exact," Dr. Whale replied. "But there shouldn't be any lasting damage. We were originally concerned with brain damage from the accident, but you seem to be fine."

"Since I seem to be fine, when can I get out of here?"

"That's not what I meant… mentally and neurologically, I think you're okay. You still have broken ribs, a moderate concussion, deep cuts that can be infected, and a five inch incision going down your stomach. You won't be getting out of here anytime soon."

Emma crossed her arms as best she could and glared at the wall, so she wouldn't direct her anger at Dr. Whale.

"Can she eat?" David asked.

"Bland foods until we know her body can tolerate it."

"Emma, I'm going to go get you a surprise, okay?"

"'kay," she said, looking up at her father. With that, Dr. Whale and David left. Once in the hallway and the door was closed, David turned to the older man.

"Are you giving her anything for anxiety?"

"No, why?" he frowned in confusion.

"I think she's being way too calm about all of this. Is it possible that there's some sort of head injury you're missing?"

"I'm sure she's just in shock. It's a lot to take in, and the meds she _are _ getting are probably taking the edge of anxiety off as well. I wouldn't worry." With that, the two men parted ways. David bought Emma a chocolate mini ice cream cup from the Ben and Jerry's vending machine. Chocolate was just going to have to be bland enough. When he got back to the room, he found Snow cradling Neal in her left arm and holding Emma's hand with her right. Regina had an arm around Henry's back while the boy babbled about the snow and his plans for making Olaf.

"One mini chocolate ice cream cup for the princess," he announced quietly. Emma accepted it with a grateful smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"You look tired, sweetheart," Snow said with a concerned frown. "Are you sure you're feeling okay –I mean, considering everything?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied, doing her best to sound dismissive. Killian gave her a look, and she sent him an 'I'll talk to you later' look back. Snow smiled at the two. Though she didn't know exactly what their exchange meant –just as Emma was never quite sure what her parents were saying with their own eye conversations– she knew how deeply the pair cared for each other. Neal fussed in her arm, and she slipped her hand out from Emma's in order to shift Neal into a more comfortable position. It didn't help, and he soon started wailing.

"I'll just take him outside until he's done so he doesn't disturb you. Charming, can you–"

"I'm coming, don't worry," David said, leaping to his feet and following his wife out to the hall.

"Henry, you didn't eat much of your dinner. Now that you can see Miss Swan is feeling better, why don't I take you to the cafeteria to get you something?" Though Regina phrased it as a question, it was clear to everyone in the room that it wasn't. Henry shot a glance at Emma, who nodded at him, then said,

"Okay. We'll be back soon, Mom."

"'Kay," the blonde mumbled. Regina gave her a curt smile on the way out, leaving Killian alone with Emma and the room suddenly feeling too big for just the two of them. Still, Emma couldn't help but feel as though the walls were closing in, and she felt her throat tighten. Killian moved his seat closer to her and squeezed her hand, sensing her discomfort.

"What's wrong, love?"

"My dad wanted to pick me up from the station. Everyone was so worried… I… it could have all been avoided if I'd just let him pick me up." She buried her face in her hands, then ran them through her hair and took note of the johnny. "God, I must look awful. Did they bring me clothes, do you know?"

"My apologies, I do not know. I think you look lovely, Emma."

"Yeah, right," she scoffed.

"You've barely taken a bite of the chocolate, so I know you feel guilty. Love, this isn't your fault."

"It is, though. And it… the thing is, I told him 'no' because he was safe and warm and at home with mom and my brother, I didn't want him to have to head out in the storm. Instead, I caused this."

"Emma," he said firmly, "we're all just happy you're alive. Nothing else matters except you getting better, alright?"

"Did I really… did I almost..?"

"Yes, love," he said, answering her unvoiced question. "It was a very close call."

"I can't believe I put you guys through all of that…"

"It's okay," he assured her. "Like I said, we're just glad you're okay."

"Me too," she said quietly, looking down at their entwined hands. "I wasn't trying to be stupid, I promise. I just didn't want my dad to have to go out in the cold."

"I know, love." He whispered, brushing a lock of blonde from her forehead with his hook.

"I'm finally happy, why would I jeopardize that?" She continued her rambling. "God, I almost got myself _killed_ and–"

"Emma, you need to stop," Killian said firmly. "All these scenarios are running through your head, but you can't focus on them. They'll drive you insane."

"They're gonna hate me now."

"No, no one's going to hate you. Why do you think we're all here?" That seemed to calm her down a bit, but she still refused to meet his gaze. "Tell me about it," he said quietly, rubbing small circles on her hand with his thumb.

"I was eight," she swallowed hard, "I woke up one morning feeling like absolute crap, worse than I had in the previous days. I asked my foster mother if I could stay home from school, but she made me go. As soon as I walked in the building, I threw up, but I knew better than to go to the nurse. She'd have to call her, and if by some chance she decided to come get me, I'd be punished. Severely." She paused and took a deep breath, forcing the prickling behind her eyes to not escalate. "A little before lunchtime, I got up to sharpen my pencil, but I passed out. The next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital, alone. Apparently, I had the flu. My temperature was 104.6, and I should have been in the hospital days before. Nobody came to visit me for the entire three days I was there. When I was discharged, she didn't say a word to me the whole way back to the house. When we got inside, my foster dad–" She cut herself off short and shook her head. "Anyway… how did you know there was a reason I hate hospitals? That they make me nervous?"

"I told you, you're an open book to me," he said quietly, smiling at her softly.

"There are times I hate that," she said with a small smirk. "I tried to make it so no one could tell how I was feeling or what I was thinking… then again, you've always been different."

"Why Swan, I think that's the most romantic thing you've ever said to me," he put his hook over his heart and gasped in mock shock. At that, she rolled her eyes and replied,

"Yeah, well don't get used to it."

"You also said that kiss in Neverland was a one time thing," Killian teased.

"When I get out of this damn hospital and can move without my whole body feeling like it's being stabbed by a billion tiny shards of glass, I'm gonna punch you in the face."

"You already have," he commented dryly. "And as much as I love your punching skills, I'd prefer them not to be put to use on me."

She smiled at that and ducked her head. "You can tell them they can come back in. I know they just wanted to give you time alone with me because they know I'll talk to you."

"As you wish," he squeezed her hand before letting go to begin his search of the hall. Snow and David weren't hard to find; they were just outside the door.

"How is she?" David asked.

"She's hanging in there," the darker haired man replied. "But it's not really my place to discuss with you what we talked about. We had a nice chat, though. She's not closing herself off."

"That's what we were afraid of," Snow said as she bounced baby Neal.

"And she knows that you purposely left us alone so she'd talk," Killian said. "She's not _that_ out of it." Just then, Henry and Regina rounded the corner. In his hands, he held two tiny cereal boxes.

"Apple Jacks were the only thing he wanted," Regina said with a sigh. "And he figured Emma would be able to eat Cheerios."

"That was thoughtful," Snow smiled down at her grandson… though he was getting to be almost as tall as her.

"We should probably get back in there before she decides to come look for us on her own," Killian suggested. With that, the small group filed back into Emma's room. She raised an eyebrow at them.

"I know you were talking about me," she said.

"Aye, but nothing bad, love," Killian promised.

"We brought you some Cheerios," Henry offered her the box with a smile.

"Thanks, kid," Emma returned the smile. "What time is it?"

"Amost 9:00 PM," Killian answered in his usual formal way.

"Jesus… Kid, you should go home and get to sleep. You have school tomorrow."

"No, I wanna stay here with you," Henry shook his head.

"Henry, I'm fine. I promise. You can visit me after school tomorrow if you want."

"But–."

"Henry," Regina cut him off in a firm but tender tone. "She's right."

He shot an SOS look to Snow and David, who then looked at each other.

"We'll be here with her, Henry," the king said. "Emma's going to be just fine."

"Besides, I'll hopefully be sleeping, so there's nothing you can do," the blonde interjected. "And there's a lot of sick people here. You know, old people with colds and the flu. I don't want you to get sick, and the less time you're here, the less of a chance you have of catching something. You'll be better off spending your time here with me when I'm awake."

Finally, his shoulders slumped in defeat and he sighed, "Okay.

"Thank you for cooperating," Emma said, reaching out to ruffle his hair. "And thanks for the Cheerios."

"You're usually hungry," Henry teased with a small smile.

"I'll see you tomorrow, kid."

Before following Regina out the door, he gently hugged his mother. It took Emma by surprise, but she wrapped her arms around him as best she could with her injuries.

"Love you, Mom."

"I love you too. Be safe driving home, guys."

"We will," Regina nodded. "Feel better."

"Thanks," Emma smiled. Once the two were out of the room, Snow sidled up next to her daughter.

"Now don't get mad, but I brought you something," the smaller woman said with an excited tremble in her voice. She reached into the diaper bag and pulled out Emma's baby blanket. "I thought you might want it to make you feel more at home."

Though the blonde rolled her eyes and accepted the blanket with a huff, she couldn't hide the touched smile or the shake in her voice as she said,

"You were running out of the house in a panic but you still thought it would be a good idea to bring the damn thing?"

"I thought that _anything_ that would make my baby girl feel better would be a good idea," Snow said with a teasing smile, though it was clear she meant every word she said.

"What's the blanket from?" Killian asked. "It's beautiful."

"Oh um…"

"I'm sorry if I overstepped any–"

"No, it's fine," Emma sighed. "It's my baby blanket. Growing up, it was the only thing I had from them," she nodded in her parents' direction. Killian was able to read between the lines and hear what she left unspoken to spare Snow and David's feelings.

"I still can't believe you kept it this whole time," David said, walking over to her bed and running the soft fabric between his fingers. At that, Emma shrugged as much as she could without jarring her ribs. "It wasn't an insult or anything," he quickly added, sensing her discomfort. "I just meant, it's been a long time since you were a baby. Even when you'd just arrived in Storybrooke, it was twenty eight years… that's a long time to keep something, especially in as good condition as it's in."

"Yeah, well, it's important to me," she said quietly. After a moment, she looked up and said, "You guys should probably get going. I know you don't want him to get any germs or anything."

"Who? Neal?" Snow looked down at the baby in her arms. "No, Emma, we're staying the night. In the morning, we'll have to bring him home, and maybe Ruby can–"

"Dad needs to run the station, I get that. And you need to take care of him. It's fine, I'm okay."

"Emma, you're my baby, too, even if you're not pint-sized anymore. You're just as important to me as Neal. And… I think you forget, sometimes, that you made me a mother. You're my first born –ours–" she gestured to David, "And we love you more than you'll ever know."

"I have Henry, so I do know," she replied quietly. She turned her attention to Killian, but before she could open her mouth to speak, he said,

"I'm not leaving either, love."

"Fine, but when you all need a chiropractor from those freaking plastic chairs, don't blame me."


	6. Chapter 6

I want to thank everyone who read/reviewed last chapter. I know these updates have been sporadic, and I apologize. My excuse this time is that I landed myself in the hospital. You guys really are the best readers in the world, and I can't thank you enough.

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><p>Within minutes, Emma's eyes fluttered closed again. David picked up her half-eaten ice cream and threw it away. Though he hated to waste food, it was already extremely melted, and he doubted Emma would end up finishing it; besides, there wasn't a freezer available for patient use.<p>

"Well, we managed to get her to sleep without a hitch," Snow smiled. "I figured there would be resistance and a fight."

"She's exhausted," David replied.

"I'm not asleep yet," Emma mumbled crankily. "So shh." The three adults shared an amused look. "Don't give each other that look, it's not funny."

"Your eyes are closed, how could you possibly–"

"I've lived with you long enough, haven't I? I know what you do." At that, the brunette kept her mouth shut. No, Emma had not lived with them long enough. She should have been living with them for her entire life, not these last three or so years (well, two, not counting the year she and Henry were in New York).

"Go to sleep, sweetheart," she said instead. Emma wrinkled her nose at the pet name, but they all knew that deep down, the blonde was ecstatic that she finally had someone –lots of people, in fact– to give her pet names.

"Like I said, I'm trying, but you guys keep talking."

"Sorry, love," Killian apologized for the group, even though he hadn't made a peep.

"We'll be quiet," Snow promised.

"With the squirt here? I doubt that," the blonde scoffed.

"He has a name, you know," David said. Clearly, nobody was intent on being quite.

"Don't care, squirt suits him."

"How'd you know about that?" David asked with a slight gasp.

"'Bout what?"

"Your mother said the same thing about me, it's how she started calling me 'Charming'."

"Emma, did you read the book?" a touched smile graced Snow's lips. She couldn't believe her baby girl had _willingly_ read about how her parents met.

"I'm sleeping," the blonde replied.

* * *

><p>Even hours after Emma had conked out, nobody else could sleep despite the fact that midnight was rapidly approaching. They couldn't tear their eyes away from the sleeping form, couldn't look away for fear that her chest would stop its steady rise and fall. Even baby Neal didn't seem to want to sleep.<p>

"Are you worried about your sister?" Snow whispered to the bundle in her arms that looked up at her with clear, blue eyes. "You're going to be really tired tomorrow if you don't sleep tonight. You'll get your sleep schedule all messed up, and Mommy doesn't want that for you… or for me. Emma's going to be just fine, don't you worry."

"I don't think he understands you," David said quietly. While Snow shot him an irritated look, he simply smiled lovingly. "Why don't I take him for a walk around the halls while you try to get some sleep. You've barely put him down since we got here."

"I don't want to sleep," the brunette replied. "I'm scared that if I do, something will happen to Emma." David shifted in his seat so that he could give his wife his full, undivided attention. They generally didn't talk about what happened with Emma as a baby. It was too painful, and both sides felt guilty, so they'd silently –but together– decided it was best to leave the subject alone unless Emma brought it up. Though Snow's current feelings were certainly attached and driven by the past, he was going to patiently listen. He had days where he wanted to talk about what happened, when the guilt was eating at him because his baby girl wasn't quite able to let him in all the way, but he never wanted to burden Snow with his own guilt.

Sure, she had made the decision to send Emma to the Land Without Magic alone, but he could have hidden with her until they were all brought to Storybrooke. Snow would have been none the wiser, and Emma wouldn't have grown up the way she did. He could have done _something_ to protect her. Of course, he now knew that that wasn't ever an option. Emma had to have Henry to kiss him in order to break the curse. He knew that the blonde wouldn't have it any other way. For better or for worse, life in this world had shaped her and molded her into the person she was today, including the thirteen year old boy who was no doubt pouting in his room right now because he couldn't be with his mother.

So yes, David was going to listen to Snow because while they both tried to conceal the pain and the guilt for the others' benefit, he was willing to bet the combination of fear of nearly losing Emma, the stress, and the sleep deprivation were lowering Snow's own defenses (her and Emma were more alike than either women were willing to admit, and David can't help but smile whenever they do something that is so in-sync or similar).

"Snow, nothing's going to happen. She's on all kinds of monitors, just to be sure. Besides, you heard her cranking at everyone. She'll be better in no time."

"Still, I just feel like… there's something I can do, even if it's just staying awake and watching over her."

"Ahh, I see," David sighed. "Right now, she's sleeping. When she's awake, the only thing you can actually do to make her feel better is give her your love, and right now, you can't do that. You're compelled to do _something_, so you've subconsciously decided that if you sleep, she'll get worse. You know, I was reading child development books, so we'd know what to expect with Neal, but I found one on post-baby motherhood development. It said that in highly stressful birthing situations, OCD can develop, among other attachment issues. You've had _two_ extremely stressful births, so I'm just wondering–"

"I'm not crazy," Snow said in a low, dangerous voice that rivalled her glare. David knew it was the lack of sleep talking, so he felt safe enough to continue.

"I'm not saying you're crazy, I'm saying that maybe you should think about how much you hold the baby. You barely ever put him down–"

"Do you blame me?" She hissed. "You had to take Emma from me so we could save her, and the next time I see her, she's twenty eight years old and not even close to the tiny, fragile baby I said goodbye to all those years ago. Neal was poofed out of my arms minutes after he was handed to me, and there was _nothing_ I could do to stop it. _He was almost part of a sacrificial time-travel_!"

"Of course I don't blame you," he said evenly. "I just think that, growing up, you're going to be more attached to him than he will be to you, and that might not be healthy."

"He's my _son_. I didn't get to raise Emma or experience all the baby-ness with her, so I'm damn well going to experience it with him."

"Snow, there are plenty of adult things to experience with Emma. Believe me, I know how frustrating it is to see him smiling and wonder what her first smile would've looked like. But just… don't get so caught up in all the baby-ness with him that you forget she still needs you, too. She does, Snow, and I try to reach out to her as much as I can, but there are some things a girl just needs her mom for. And before you argue that she's an adult, just… look at her. Without her consciously putting up those walls, she seems much more relaxed. I've never seen her like this when she's awake. Without her constantly trying to prove that she's an independent adult, it's easy to see the child underneath it all. If you strip back the layers, you'll see how insecure she actually is. She loves Killian, but she's still scared because every single relationship she's ever been in has gone to shit," David said, for the moment forgetting Killian was sitting across the room. His colorful language took Snow by surprise and melted the initial flare of anger. Clearly, he felt strongly about this, and wasn't lashing out as a way to deal with the guilt of the accident. "Snow, she's trying with us. But you were willing to stay in Neverland with me, even though it meant never seeing her again. I know it's because you think she's better off without you, and maybe because of all the pushing away she's done, you've subconsciously believed she doesn't want you in her life, but she does. She needs you. She needs _us_, her parents, not as friends. I still can't believe we thought it was best for her to get rid of her magic. I know we were trying to treat her like the adult that she is, but she was feeling insecure. She was scared and unwilling to admit it, so she tried to handle it herself, but she needed her parents to help her make the best decision because she's still not used to magic, because she still doesn't know how special and amazing she is just by being _her_. Not because she's the Savior, but because she's Emma. It's our job to fix that."

Snow opened and closed her mouth, unsure of what to say. And boy, did she have a _lot_ to say, she just couldn't string her incoherent thoughts into anything that would make any sense at all. Instead, she placed the baby on David's lap and stormed out of the room. The effect was lost when she carefully closed the door so as not to wake Emma. David sighed and shook his head before positioning Neal in a more comfortable position.

"You weren't wrong, mate," Killian said quietly, causing the other man to jerk his head up in surprise.

"Come again?"

"Though Emma hasn't spoken about it to me directly, her and I understand each other. Perhaps she simply lowers her defenses a bit with me, because I am a neutral third party who won't be hurt if she expresses herself freely."

"I didn't mean to upset her," David nodded toward the door, "It's just been eating at me for a while, and I know Emma won't ever bring it up herself. It's not entirely Snow's fault, we've all been scarred by what happened when Emma was born, and she's probably not even aware she's doing it. But somebody needed to point it out, right? I mean, it's as much for her as it is for Emma. She's missing out on all these things with her because she's so focused on not messing up anything with Neal. I know how hard it is to balance being a parent of two, and I know her relationship with Emma is different than mine because they were friends before the curse broke, and maybe they said something to each other during that time that's scaring them off now… I don't know. I just want everything to be okay."

"You might be right about one thing," Killian offered a small smile for moral support.

"Yeah, what's that?"

"If Emma and the princess were best mates before Emma broke the curse, then it stands to reason she was much more open with her than she would be otherwise. She probably feels as though your wife knows too much about her past, about herself… that maybe she doesn't want people to know about. Her first reaction is to put her walls up and push that person away. Maybe with the new baby, she assumes she isn't needed as a daughter anymore."

"That couldn't be farther from the truth," David said.

"Of course, but still… maybe she's waiting for you two to notice, even if she's waiting subconsciously? As I'm sure you know, all of her foster families sent her back, and her first one, whom she was with for three years, sent her back after they got pregnant."

"Oh my Gods… no, she never told us that. I mean, I assume Snow doesn't know, but… that would explain a lot. We assumed she was happy with Henry in New York, we didn't want to bother her, oh Gods…"

"Hey, there's no use worrying about it now. When she wakes up, maybe you can have a conversation with about it then."

"I have to find Snow," he said as if he was on autopilot. He left Killian to watch over Emma while he roamed the stark white hallways looking for his infuriated wife. The darker-haired man chose to take it as a sign that he was slowly but surely earning the prince's trust.


End file.
